Ferrari Announces Special 458 Italia for China

The first Ferrari was sold in China twenty years ago—the car in question was a 348TS—and the company is celebrating the anniversary with the release of a special-edition 458 Italia specifically for that market. Only 20 of the cars will be constructed, and all will feature a golden dragon on the hood framed by gold and black striping. The mythical creature is a popular theme this year for Chinese special editions, which makes sense given that 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. (Check out examples from Chrysler and Jeep, Dartz, and Rolls-Royce.) Going beyond the zodiacal tie-in, Ferrari also says it was inspired by a Chinese idiomatic theme dubbed longma; it means "the vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse"—very appropriate given the Scuderia's prancing-horse emblem. The gold look is continued on the wheels and active-aero winglets up front. The exterior is finished in an exclusive hue called Marco Polo Red, presumably in honor of the most well-known early European traveler to China. Inside, there is gold embroidery on the headrests and each car's start button will be stamped with the simplified Chinese character for "start"—which we'd show you if we had a Chinese character keyboard. Finally, a 20th Anniversary Special Edition commemorative plaque is fitted. This unique Ferrari will be introduced in a few weeks at the inauguration of a three-year Ferrari Exhibition at the Shanghai Expo Park's Italian Center. There's no word on a price or whether all 20 cars already have homes. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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